SEVASTOPOL. Nov 2 (Interfax) - Russia needs to develop production of unmanned submersibles and robotic systems and to open a joint center for their development, Russian presidential aide, Maritime Board chair Nikolai Patrushev said.
"We need to develop production of unmanned submersibles and robotic systems and open a joint competence center for their development," Patrushev said at a meeting with the command of the Russian Navy and the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.
The United States and its allies "are hatching plans of long-term presence inside the Black Sea and on its perimeter to the detriment of lawful interests of our state," Patrushev said.
"Under these circumstances, it is important not just to determine the prospective performance characteristics of ships and their weapons but also to ensure the balance of forces constituting the Navy's combat capabilities and means of their provision in order to protect the Russian national interests, to enhance the Navy's universality, and the broaden the range of accomplished missions," Patrushev said.
"It is important that the Navy develops as a single combat system, controlled through the implementation of advanced technologies and digital solutions," he said.